March 7: Embark on a time-traveling adventure with Mr. Peabody and Sherman

If you’re looking for a fun family film, check out “Mr. Peabody & Sherman.”

This adventure-comedy featuring science fiction, time travel, outlandish characters and clever dialogue is based on a classic cartoon. Some are old enough to remember “Peabody’s Improbable History” from the “Rocky and Bullwinkle” TV series of the 1960s. The series was produced by the legendary Jay Ward, and now his daughter, Tiffany Ward, is behind the helm of this movie.

In “Mr. Peabody & Sherman,” a young boy named Sherman takes a joyride in a time machine to impress his friend Penny. They accidentally rip a hole in the universe, wreaking havoc on the most important events in world history. That’s when Sherman’s adoptive father, Mr. Peabody — a super-smart and human-like dog — comes to their rescue. But before Mr. Peabody can save the world, he must figure out how to be a parent.

Mr. Peabody invites Penny’s parents, Paul and Patty, over for dinner to smooth over a rocky encounter between the kids at school. They have no idea what their daughter and her new friends are up to, because Mr. Peabody has ensured that time stands still for the clueless couple. Unbeknownst to them, their daughter is breaking and then trying to repair the time machine, while the film’s villain, Miss Grunion is in hot pursuit.

Miss Grunion works for the Bureau of Child Safety and Protection, and she is inflamed that Mr. Peabody — a dog — has been permitted to adopt Sherman.

“Miss Grunion believes a dog, no matter what his IQ, is an unsuitable parent for a young boy,” said filmmaker Alex Schwartz, in an interview with Upstate Parent. “She believes she’s doing the right thing in trying to take Sherman away from Peabody, which, of course, is the most insidious kind of villainy.”

Actor Ty Burrell voices Mr. Peabody, and he said he prepared for his role by watching the classic television shorts upon which the film is based.

“Mr. Peabody possesses the genius of Einstein, the wit of Oscar Wilde, the daring of Indiana Jones, the deductive skills of Sherlock Holmes, the sartorial style of James Bond, and the culinary skills of Mario Batali,” Burrell said.

With all these personalities, Burrell admits his work was cut out for him.

“I’m playing a character that is essentially perfect, while I’m so imperfect,” he said. “Peabody makes almost no mistakes, except in fatherhood, as all dads do. He can think himself out of any situation or problem, except when it comes to dealing with Sherman.”

Meanwhile, actor Max Charles brings an authentic kid’s voice to Sherman. Schwartz said the actor is “funny, has good timing, and talks like he’s chewing on marbles.”

Next to Mr. Peabody, the person who becomes closest to Sherman is his classmate Penny Peterson (voiced by actress Ariel Winter.) Penny rules her elementary school until she meets Sherman, who is even more of a nerd than she is.

“Initially, Penny is at odds with Sherman,” Schwartz said. “But she’s able to put aside her initial jealousy of Sherman, and see that he’s an interesting kid. The great thing about Penny is that we really see her grow over the course of the movie.”

Globetrotting in a time-traveling machine

Penny, Sherman and Mr. Peabody begin their fateful journey in a time-traveling machine. Their first stop is the French Revolution and a meeting with that country’s queen, who loses her head — literally — after her encounter with the trio. Sherman and Mr. Peabody run afoul of the peasant uprising that will forever change France, and Mr. Peabody winds up with his neck on the guillotine. Fortunately, Mr. Peabody is able to escape the blade, thanks to some brilliant strategic moves and swashbuckling expertise.

“We loved the idea of opening the film with a big action sequence,” Schwartz said.

To turn Mr. Peabody into a master swordsman, the filmmakers brought in sword-fighting and jousting experts, who taught the animators how to hold the weapon, attack with it and keep their centers of balance.

Next, the time travelers dash through the Paris sewer system and journey onward to ancient Egypt, where Penny finds herself betrothed to a 9-year-old King Tut. Then the trio visit to Mr. Peabody’s old friend and the original Renaissance man, Leonard DaVinci. They find DaVinci in a creative crisis: he can’t get Mona Lisa (voiced by Lake Bell) to smile for her portrait. Sherman and Penny also take a joyride in Leonardo’s ahead-of-its-time flying machine.

The time travelers venture on to ancient Troy, where Sherman finds himself inside a giant Trojan horse. It’s a mix of historical fact with fun and fantasy, as Sherman makes friends with Agamemnon, the commander of the Greek armed forces during the Trojan War.